1. Technical Field
This invention relates to toys and recreational products, and more particularly to a hula hoop having a coupling member adapted to secure the terminal ends of a plastic portion of the hoop together while retaining a decorative outer sheath within the interior free ends of the plastic portion of the hula hoop.
2. Discussion
Hula hoops have been used for a number of years to provide entertainment and enjoyment to individuals of all ages. Such products typically incorporate a circular, single piece plastic hoop having a pair of free terminal end portions. The end portions may be coupled together in a variety of ways to hold the free ends of the hula hoop together.
Recently, it has become popular to cover the plastic hoop portion of a hula hoop with some form of sheath or fabric having a decorative pattern thereon. However, the use of such a sheath or fabric can provide problems in securing the free terminal ends of the hoop together. Often some form of coupling member is inserted into each terminal end of the plastic portion of the hula hoop and adapted to engage the inner surface of the plastic hoop portion. However, with certain materials, for example, nylon, which is not stretchable, and which further has a relatively smooth outer surface, securing the free ends of the material within the terminal ends of the hoop can be difficult. In particular, the non-stretchability of nylon and its relatively smooth outer surface make it difficult for heretofore developed coupling members to sufficiently "grab" onto the nylon and hold it within the free terminal ends of the plastic hoop portion. The drawback, then, is that the free ends of the hoop are prone to become separated easily when attempting to secure them together with conventional coupling members.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a hula hoop having a new and improved coupling member which is specifically adapted to retain the free ends of a fabric or sheath such as nylon, which is not stretchable, within the free terminal ends of the plastic hoop portion of the hula hoop.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a coupling member for a hula hoop which comprises a single piece component, which is relatively easy to manufacture, and which does not require any special tools to be used when assembling the coupling member into the free ends of the plastic hoop portion of the hula hoop.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a coupling member that functions extremely well to secure the free ends of a fabric or sheath which has been inserted over a plastic hoop portion of a hula hoop, where the fabric or sheath is made from nylon and is not stretchable and has a smooth outer surface.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a coupling member for a hula hoop which is light in weight yet has high strength to resist twisting and bending forces, and which is specifically adapted to grasp a non-stretchable sheath or fabric covering a plastic inner hoop portion of a hula hoop to thereby secure the free ends of the nylon sheath or fabric within the interior of the plastic hoop portion.